I apologize for the lack of posts today. I actually just got into Seattle (from NJ) and I’m getting situated. What a terrible flight, I had some little kids in front of me who kept slapping each other. It was entertaining for five minutes, then when the movie Daddy Day Care 2 came on, the tides turned very quickly. Anyway, back to baseball.
Brian McNamee, a man who has had to deal with Roger Clemens’ legal team as of late (and therefore, questions regarding his credibility), is thinking about fighting back with his own defamation lawsuit. This is turning into a surreal baseball soap opera. Of course, it’s missing the beautiful women and the actors involved are way better at faking the truth, but still.
From the Yankees Website:
HOUSTON — Brian McNamee, Roger Clemens’ former trainer, has added another attorney to his legal team and could file a defamation suit against the seven-time Cy Young Award winner, according to The New York Times in its Saturday edition.
Richard D. Emery, a prominent New York lawyer, told the newspaper he has been asked by the lawyer for McNamee to assist in defending McNamee against allegations that he lied to former Sen. George Mitchell’s investigators about Clemens’ use of steroids and human growth hormone.
McNamee’s lawyer, Earl Ward, told the Times he recruited Emery because of his experience in libel and defamation cases.
The article goes on to talk about Clemens’ 60 Minutes interview, which is what McNamee’s lawyers are really waiting for. If Clemens “defames” McNamee during the course of that interview, McNamee’s attorneys have stated that Clemens would face legal ramifications. They would also file the suit to validate McNamee’s Mitchell Report accusations as truths and not fabrications.
I won’t pretend to know much about legal matters, so I’m not exactly sure what can happen. This could all be some vocal posturing from both sides as they try to establish credibility for their clients. Clemens has hit McNamee hard by digging into his past and McNamee seems ready to go blow-for-blow.
The funny thing (if you can really call it that) about this situation is that McNamee could be filing a defamation suit against Clemens. We haven’t really seen Clemens talk about filing a defamation suit against McNamee, although he and his attorneys have criticized the creation (and the process involved) of the Mitchell Report, and the credibility of McNamee.
Either way, it’s interesting to see a guy who’s pretty much been characterized as a clubhouse flunky (McNamee) pursue defamation charges (you know, because he’s already thought of as a very pristine figure….) against a would be Hall of Famer whose chances aren’t so good anymore, thanks to unsupported allegations made by that flunky.
